Insulating-coupling.



G. F. DREHER. INSULATING COUPLING.

APP LIGATION FILED APR. 9, 1906.

2 SHEETS-*SHEET 1.

ATTORNEYS PATENTED SEPT. 10, 1907.

PATENTED SEPT. 10, 1907. G. F. DREHER.

INSULATING GOUPLING. APPLICATION FILED APR. 9, 1906.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

'lulation.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GUSTAVE F. DREHER, OF SGHENEGTADY, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TOGUSTAVE F. E. DREHER, OF SQHENEOTADY, NEW YORK.

INSULATING-GOUPLIN G.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 10, 1907.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GUSTAVE F. DREI-IER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Schenectady, in the county of Schenectady and State of NewYork, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inInsulating-Couplings, of which the following is a specili cation.

My invention relates to means for insulating two adjoining metallicmembers, and the objects of my invention are: lst: To provide a meansfor insulating the adjoining members of a coupling, and preventing sparking across the air gap. 2nd: To provide for the contraction andexpansion of the members without affecting the insulating compositionsurrounding them. 3rd: To arrange the members of the coupling in respectto each other so that in order to be brought in engagement theirmovement must be in a direction at, or substantially at, right angles tothe pull upon them alter their engagement is complete. Together withsuch other combinations and elements hereinafter described and claimed.I attain these objects by the means illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings, in which:

Figure l is a perspective view of one member of the coupling. Fig. 2 isa perspective view of the other member thereof. Fig. 3 is a perspectiveview of the two members after the coupling is made and the insulationplaced in position. Fig. 4 is a horizontal sec tion along the lines ofthe coupling after the insulating composition has beenplaced about it.Fig. 5 is a horizontal section along the lines of a coupling with theinsulating composition placed about it, with parts broken away, showinga wedge engaging the in- Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a modified formof my invention. Fig. 7 is a perspective view of another modified formof my invention. Fig. 8 is a plan view of a further modified form. Fig.8 is a horizontal section along the line Z-Z on Fig. 9, of a thirdmodified form of my invention. Fig.- 9 is an elevation of a modifiedform of my invention. Fig. 10 is a plan illustrating my inventionapplied to a collector. Fig. 11 is a plan of my invention applied to acollector, being a modified form of the collector shown in Fig. 10.

Similar letters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

For the purpose of retaining in position trolley wires and currentcarrying cables, it is desirable to use wires extending from the trolleyor cable poles, and to insulate the trolley or cable from the pole orother support a cable block is commonly employed, which cable block isusually embedded in a composition of insulating substance. Aconsiderable strain is exerted on this cable block, and at times a heavyvoltage is transmitted thereto. For effective service there should beperfect rigidity in the cable block, for if there'is any give oropportunity for movement under the strain the composition becomescracked, fissures are fOl'ID-Gd and short circuiting ensues, and theapparatus becomes inoperative as an insulating device. It is furthermoredesirable to provide for preventing any possibility of arcing when anunusual current is carried by the wire. Being embedded in thecomposition, where it cannot be seen it is particularly desirable thatthe construction shall be such that no inspection is required tomaintain its efficiency under all reasonable conditions. When theinsulating material placed between the adjoining members is made up ofseparate pieces there is very apt to be a leak, and a burning of theparts, which soon destroys all insulating properties of the coupling. Inmy improved coupling, I have provided a positively rigid block, afterthe members are in position and the insulation between them is in place.I prevent any possibility of leakage between the adjoining members bymaking the insulation of a single continuous strip; I prevent sparkingby extending the insulating strip above and below and forward of theadjoining parts. In this way, I reduce to a minimum the danger ofbreaking the insulation surface surrounding the block and provide for apositive strain without rendering more liable to break in proportion asthe strain is increased.

Referring to the drawings, it will be seen that I construct the member,A, which is the male member, see Fig. 2, with an enlarged, T-shapedhead, B, with a shank, a, and if desired a ring, C, at the end of theshank to engage the wire. The female member is provided with an opening,E, for the head, B; the shoulders, e, a, engage the portions of thel1ead,,B, which extend beyond and on each side of the shank, a, therebeing an opening, F, between the shoulders, e, e, for the passage of theshank, a. 011 the female portion there is also provided a shank, G, inthe end of which may be secured the ring, H, to connect the wire. TheT-shaped head has thus two hooked projections, one on each side of theshank, a, each hook being that part of the T shaped end of the headwhich in the formation of the T extends beyond the shank and is thenprojected at a short distance parallel to but separated slightly fromthe shank.

I place an insulating strip, J. which may be mica or other suitablesubstance, in one continuous strip between the head, 13, and the wallsof the opening, E, and passage way, F, in the female portion of thecoupling, as shown in Fig. 3, preferably arranging the insulatingmaterial so that it will extend above the adjoining members on each sidethereof. It will also extend forward of the end of the female portion ofthe coupling adjacent to the shank, a, of the male portion thereof. Theinsulating material, J, fills tightly thespace between the head, B, andthe opening, E, in order that there shall be no possibility of actionwhen the strain is applied to the members of the coupling in oppositedirections.

I may place a wedge, K, between the insulating material and the opening,E, as shown in Fig. 5, by the insertion of which any play that mightexist would be taken up. It will be noticed that in order to make thecoupling it is necessary that the two members shall be first placed inrelation to each other, the one overlapping the other, so that the sideof the head, B, shall come in engagement with the top of the walls ofthe opening, E, and then a movement exerted in a direction at rightangles to that of the direction of the strain which will be upon the twomembers when they are in position, by which movement the head, B, willenter the opening, E, as shown in Fig. 3. The insulating strip may beplaced within the opening, E, before the head, B, is inserted, ifdesired, or they may be placed therein simultaneously. I consider it animportant part of my invention, this arrangement of the parts so thattheir engagement is made from the side of the coupling and in adirection at right angles to the di rection of the strain, because whenthey are thus in position there is no give to the parts, as there wouldnaturally be, if the parts were receiving a strain, after they werecoupled, in the same direction as that in which they moved when theywere brought into the coupled relation, in which last mentioned casethey would be simply during their working period endeavoring towithstand the pull against a locking device which they broke or openedat the time of their engagement.

After the parts have been coupled I preferably coat them including theshanks, with japan, and while this japan is in a plastic state, beforeit is hardened, I place powdered mica thereon, and while it is in asemi-plastic condition place an insulating composition, R, about theparts as shown in Figs. l and 5. The reason for coating the parts withjapan, and then placing powdered mica thereon, is to allow for theslight contraction and expansion of the parts of the coupling, withoutcausing a breakage of the composi tion, R, which would be more likely tooccur, providing the composition.came in direct contact with thecoupling.

I do not wish to limit myself to the use of japan, any suitablesubstance which will assume a plastic state, and in contact with whichpowdered mica or other similar material may be brought would answer thepurpose, which is to allow for a movement of the parts without breakingthe superimposed composition.

I have shown in Figs. 6 and 7 modified forms of my coupling; rathermodified adaptations thereof. In

Fig. 6 I construct the head, M, of the male portionwith two projectingengaging shoulders, m, m, which fit a correspondingly formed opening inthe female portion of the coupling. The insulating strip extends aboutthe male portion when in position between the adjacent parts of the twocoupling members in one continuous strip.

Fig. 7 shows the same coupling as in Figs. 1, 2, 3, and 4, except that Iarrange on the male portion two heads, 0, P, each of which engages witha corresponding female portion, 0, p, the wires being secured to therings, 0, p attached to the ends of the female portions, respectively.

I have shown in Figs. 8 and 8 a means for locking the two parts of thecoupling against lateral disengagement. This I accomplish by making adepression, O,

0, in the shoulders e, e, of the female portion within which theprojections P, P, on each side of the shank, a, engage when the head, B,is placed within the opening, E, as shown in Fig. 8. Instead of makingthe projections on the male portion I may reverse the order and placethe shoulders on the female portion and depressions in the male portion.

It is understood that in both Figs. 7 and 8 and 8 the insulatingmaterial is placed in the same manner as that described in Figs. 1, 2,3, and 4.

In Fig. 9 I arrange for two or more male portions, T, T, T, which engagecorresponding openings in the female portion U, insulating material, V,extending the whole lengthbetween the adjoining members as in the otherfigures.

In Figs. 10 and 11, I illustrate the application of my invention whenapplied to a collector, in which the collecting ring, W, in Fig. 11 andthe shell or sleeve, Lt, in Fig. 10, is provided with an opening similarto that in each of the female parts of the coupling, within which ahead, X, similar to that in the male part, above referred to, passes inconnection with an insulating strip extending beyond the sides and endof the female portion as hereinbefore described.

While I have shown several modified forms of connecting my'coupling, Ido not limit myself to these constructions.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patentis 1. An insulated coupling consisting of two members one provided witha head, two oppositely disposed hooks on said head the other memberprovided with a corresponding opening adapted to I'GCGIXB said head; thehooks on said head adapted to engage with correspondingly hookedprojecticns in the opposite member; said members brought together by amovement in a direction at right angles to the direction of the strainwhen they are coupled; a piece of continuous insulating material placedbetween adjacent I parts of the two members suid insuluting materialextending beyond the face of the two members when coupled, substantiallyas described.

2. A coupling comprising two members; one provided with a head carryinga hooked projection on each side of a shank, the other member providedwith an opening adapted to receive said head, inwardly extending hookedprojections adapted to engage the hooked projections on said head; acontinuous insulating strip extending between the adjacent portions ofthe two members: with an insulated composition placed about both membersat and near their place of engagement.

3. Two members a continuous strip of insulating material, placed betweentheir adjacent parts, a plastic substance placed about both members;powdered mica placed on said plastic substance a composition,superimposed on said powdered mica and on said plastic substance,substantially as described.

4. An-insulated coupling comprising two parts, one provided with a head,the other with a corresponding opening adapted to receive said head;)rojections on said head adapted to engage projections in the oppositemember; a means for locking the projections on said head with saidprojections in the opposite member; a continuous piece of insulatingmaterial placed between adjacent parts of the two members on thecoupling; japan placed on said members powdered mica placed on saidjapan insulating composition placed on said mica, substantially asdescribed.

In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature in presence of twowitnesses.

GUSTAVE F. DREHER.

Witnesses:

FREDERICK W. CAUERON, Lo'rTIn PRIOR.

